Mark wrote:
> I was wondering about the difference between skos:scopeNote and
> skos:definition (and also editorialNote/changeNote). Thesauri
> in the ISO
> 2788 format only have a scope note (i.e. the scope note is the
> definition). Their difference may become clearer if an example
> containing both a scope note and a definition is included.
> Also, people
> migrating from an ISO thesaurus need to be aware that their ScopeNotes
> should probably be migrated to skos:definition.
The intention is that a definition is a 'statement or formal explanation of
the meaning of a concept' (i.e. is supposed to be a *complete* explanation
of the meaning of the concept) whereas a scope note is a 'note that helps to
clarify the meaning of a concept' (i.e. a statement of what the meaning of
the concept includes or does not include, but not a complete explanation of
the meaning of a concept). In other words, a 'scope note' says something
about what is 'in or out of scope' for a particular concept. A definition
is supposed to describe (fully) the 'scope' of a concept.
This means that, if a concept has a definition, it should not need a scope
note (i.e. the two properties should never co-occur).
An example of a scope note:
Concept [
preferred label: Europe
scope note: includes Russia
]
An example of a definition:
Concept [
preferred label: Europe
definition: The sixth-largest continent, extending west from the
Dardanelles, Black Sea, and Ural Mountains. It is technically a vast
peninsula of the Eurasian land mass.
]
Does this usage seem reasonable? A better explanation of this in the guide?
Cheers,
Al.